"With Cheerilee's cutie mark, she wanted to bring smiles to little children, being realized in the 80's. However, through the start of the 90's, she picked up a new style of rock music unlike anything else...grunge rock. Compared to the rock styles that defined the previous decade, it was abrasive, raw, and forthright. Many, if any, ideas and issues were not sugarcoated and brought to light of many young mares and stallions, ideas that shaped many ponies throughout the world, including Cheerilee herself. Through the music of grunge rock and in spite of knowing what she wanted to do, she went through an existential phase; a phase brought about by a particular band called Roughmane and their debut album, one song about questioning/rejecting their cutie marks. Along with being hooked on the music, the lyrics and its delivery made Cheerilee really think as the song brought to light many things she hadn't thought about before. The song questioned/attacked the validity of how the cutie mark ultimately defined a pony's self-actualization and it's alignment to the caste system; her awareness of the situation grew and confided many other like-minded individuals.

This prompted her among other ponies the start of a revolution of non-conformity; and the one thing that has defines the sociopolitical conformity is the cutie mark.

Cheerilie decided, as a testament of choosing her own fate, (not accepting what fate/magic/powers-may-be along with the sociopolitical conformity of the cutie mark) she defaced her cutie mark by literally marking it with an X. Many others followed suit and it became a growth of cultural awareness that swept Equestria...that is, it could have been...

Unfortunately, as more and more "followers" increased, the music she had continuously listened began to become diluted due new bands that "promoted" the grunge philosophy but it's musical tone had turned manestream. More and more ponies began to follow the trend and the music grew in marketability. Grunge then had become what it desperately despised and the revolution was ultimately dissolved. Many of the fair-weather followers had flocked to the newest musical craze of more lighter, softer pop songs while leaving the remaining true grunge fans to continue on promoting ...but not after many bands had either moved on or burned out in the, at one time, cultural phenomenon.

During this turbulent time, Cheerilee had grown unhappy with what she had become. As many, along with her stood up to fight and make awareness to the unfortunate status quo of the cutie mark, there were more than few started to question what they were really fighting for. They tell themselves: It was the right for the freedom of choice; that they can be able to do anything they want in life...just because they can. Cheerilee thought that to herself...she can do and be anything in life...because it was her choice and her choice alone. There was nothing outside of Celestia herself that will literally stop her from doing what she wanted. Besides, she still loved to teach and make little fillies happy...so wouldn't the cutie mark be a confirmation of choice? At first, it didn't seem like it, but realizing that ponies were born with blank flanks than with their intended cutie mark for a reason, she now had reason to feel a bit foolish for what the years of that movement did to her. She puts her hoof down and fully accepts her mark, cleaning off the defacement under the knowledge that her cutie mark confirmed her own volition of what she wanted to be. And while she's still aware of the potential social-political inequality that can still be present in the cutie mark, it's more of the individual rather than cutie mark itself and understanding that awareness can be presented far less radically. In that epiphany, the weight immediately lifted of of her shoulders and dropped the movement.

Turn to present day, at the school as the fillies and colts have gone outside for recess. Cheerilee keeps watch from the doorway as somepony in the class has received a cutie mark as all the other other classmates cheer and congratulate around the filly. She feels so much joy that while she brings smiles to the foals, finally getting their cutie mark will fill them with joy that will last a lifetime. And it's because they know what they want to be and it was their choice. Cheerilee's grunge phase was in no way, shape or form, a step backward from her 80's pop/glam rock obliviousness, but she's grown even more past her 90's grunge radicalism. She accepts her mark by choice.

Cheerilee goes back to her desk, pulls out a music player and puts the headphones on her ears blasting some Neighvana, because if nothing else...she still loves their music. "

Edit 2: I'm disabling comments, not for any negative reason, but because I'm just getting TOO MANY! I appreciate how you guys really like this one, but I can't reply to all the messages I get in an organized fashion. I'm sorry, but thanks for understanding!

Yay, critique time! This is a really amazing picture, and I felt the need to give some input on how I feel. So, here we go!

As for your vision, you pulled it off perfectly. The changes to the character strongly encompass the look and feel of the 90s. Everything about Cheerilee, from the hair style, to the clothing and accessories to the look on her face is done greatly. She really has that grunge look to her, and it's fantastic.

Now, when it comes to originality, I had to dock a few stars because you based it on an existing image. However, you did make it a pony, so it's unique in it's own way! Not much else to say here!

Your technique is really well done. The proportions match the show just about perfectly, and the clothing and accessories seem like objects that could appear in the show. They don't stick out, and they seem natural. The way you made the hair messy also seems like something that could be show accurate, so awesome job with that. It looks really professional. The only problem I can find is that some of outlines don't have a set thickness at points, but besides that, great work.

Finally, the impact. As I said, this was done extremely well, and the piece really hits home with what it's intention was - styling Cheerilee for the 90s. The mood is there, everything fits, and best of all the art style matches the source. And, with growing up in the 90s, I can completely relate to all of this. It really struck me as a great looking composition, and I was very quick to hit the favorite button.

All in all, incredible work. The piece as a whole looks really fantastic, and I applaud your effort to make it show accurate.

So first of the 90s were a really memorable decade, and this is really original. Vision, clear and nice, good quality very clear. Technique, this is almost a sprite (am i right?) so i can see it is digitaly made. Now impact good size thats every thing covered, now some keyboard art.